Jewish NHS staff face 'routine ostracism'

Jeff Moore/PA Wire

By Aine Fox, PA Media

Some Jewish staff in the NHS feel the need to hide their religious identity and “suffer in silence”, the head of a review has said.

Lord John Mann, who was tasked last year with looking into antisemitism in the NHS, called on the health service to be “a responsible and inclusive employer”.

The government’s independent adviser on antisemitism has made a series of recommendations, which have not yet been published but are due to be laid before Parliament on Thursday.

But they are expected to include a ban on doctors and other staff wearing political badges, such as those supporting Palestine or Israel, on their uniforms, the BBC reported.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said Lord Mann’s review heard how some Jewish staff in the NHS experience “routine ostracism” with some even considering leaving the health service.

The report is also expected to say that some Jewish patients reported not wanting to present to the NHS for treatment or putting off receiving important care, amid concerns around antisemitism.